Concern grows for Sri Lankan activists

New information concerning the disappearance of Sri Lankan political activists, Lalith Kumara Weeraraju and Kugan Muruganandan, indicates that they may be held in official custody.

New information concerning the disappearance of Sri Lankan political activists, Lalith Kumara Weeraraju and Kugan Muruganandan, indicates that they may be held in official custody. Despite several complaints lodged with local authorities, no credible action has been taken to investigate their disappearance.

Lalith Kumara Weeraraju and Kugan Muruganandan were last seen leaving Kugan Muruganandanโ€™s residence in Avarangal, Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka, at around 5:00 pm on December 9. There were preparing a press conference to be held the following day, aimed at publicizing a protest highlighting human rights violations.

Family members report they later received an anonymous phone call saying that Lalith Kumara Weeraraju had been killed.

On December 14, Kugan Muruganandanโ€™s wife visited the Atchchuveli Police Station to collect a copy of a complaint she had lodged regarding his disappearance. There she saw the same motorbike on which her husband and Lalith Kumara Weeraraju had last been seen, with the same license number NP GT 7852, inside the police station grounds. Police officers at the station told her that it had been found by the Kopai Police on December 13, parked near a Hindu temple in Kopai.

On December 15, Sri Lankan Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, stated to media: โ€œMr. Weeraraju and Mr. Muruganandan have not disappeared; they are there.โ€ This is being viewed by some as an acknowledgement that the two men are currently being held in official custody.

Following the disappearance, a local parliamentarian lodged a missing persons complaint with Jaffna police, who denied they were holding the two men in their custody. The same parliamentarian also submitted a written complaint to the Secretary to the Ministry of Defense and the National Human Rights Commission. However, despite these concerns being raised, no credible action has been taken to investigate the disappearance.

Both Lalith Kumara Weeraraju and Kugan Muruganandan are still missing.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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